Thursday, November 24, 2011

PAIN AU LEVAIN WITH FARRO






















Farro, or Emmer, an ancient kind of wheat, is popular in some parts of Italy, and, ever since I purchased Maria Speck's wonderful book "Ancient Grains in Modern Meals", also in our family.

Creamy farro with honey roasted grapes became our new breakfast favorite that even my picky, normally no-breakfast-type son wolfed eagerly down:
http://daleydish.com/blog/2011/03/creamy-farro-with-honey-roasted-grapes.html

With this delicious experience in mind, I felt inspired to come up with a recipe for a bread with farro. I wanted a straightforward bread, with sourdough, but not too tangy, to showcase the farro. I used whole farro kernels that I ground in my little hand cranked mill (with the additional "benefit" of a good arm muscle workout).

I am very happy with the result, a pleasantly mild, nutty tasting bread.  


PAIN AU LEVAIN WITH FARRO

LEVAIN
1. step
20 g wheat or rye mother starter (100% hydration), OR 16 g of apple or raisin yeast water
8 g water, lukewarm
20 g bread flour

2. step
42 g levain 1. step (all)
16 g water, lukewarm
42 g bread flour

3. step
100 g levain 2. step (all)
100 g water, lukewarm
200 g bread flour

SOAKER
314 g farro flour
236 g water
6 g salt

FINAL DOUGH
all soaker
all levain
314 g bread flour
6 g salt
202 g water
rolled wheat or other flakes for topping

DAY 1:
Mix soaker ingredients, let sit at room temperature.

For the 3-step levain: mix ingredients for mother, and proof in a warm place (like oven with light on) for ca. 6 hours. Repeat procedure with next two steps (chef and levain). Refrigerate overnight.

DAY 2:
Remove levain from refrigerator 2 hours before using.

 Cut levain in small pieces (to make mixing easier). Place all ingredients in mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until dough comes together, 1 - 2 minutes. Knead on medium low speed for 4 minutes (dough should be very tacky, bordering on sticky). Let dough rest for 5 minutes, then resume kneading for 1 minute more (dough should be still very tacky, if not sticky).

Place dough in lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rest in a warm place for 90 minutes. Transfer to lightly floured work surface, and, (with your hands from from the middle of the dough to the sides), push out air, then stretch and fold. Place folded dough with seam down back in bowl. Let rest for another 80 minutes.

Push out air again, let dough relax for 10 minutes more.

Divide into 2 equal pieces, shape into boules, place seam-side down on parchment lined baking sheet, mist with water and sprinkle with rolled wheat. Mist breads with oil spray, cover, and proof for 75 - 90 minutes in warm place, until grown to 1 1/2 times their original size. (Preheat oven after 30 minutes.)

Preheat oven to 250ºC/485ºF, including steam pan.

Place breads in oven, steaming with 1 cup of boiling water, and bake for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 200ºC/400ºF and bake for 15 minutes. Rotate breads 180 degrees, remove steam pan and continue baking for another 20 minutes (internal temperature 98ºC/209ºF). Leave for 10 minutes in switched-off oven with door slightly ajar. Then cool on wire rack.

A pleasantly nutty tasting bread

Friday, October 21, 2011

SIMIT - TÜRKISCHES SESAMBROT


Simit, ein ringförmiges Sesambrot, ist überall in der Türkei zu finden, ebenso wie in anderen Ländern des Mittleren Ostens und im Balkan. Je nach Region, kommt es in verschiedenen Grössen vor, und kann sich auch in Kruste und Krume sehr unterscheiden. Einige Simit, mit Apfelsirup und Öl zubereitet, sind eher weich, und süsser, andere dagegen schlicht und knusprig.

Nachdem ich mein erstes Simit genossen hatte, wollte ich natürlich probieren, selbst welches zu backen. Ich schaute mir eine Menge Rezepte an - glücklicherweise stellen viele türkische Frauen ihre Rezepte in deutsche Kochwebsites.

Einige dieser Beschreibungen waren für einen Anfänger ein bisschen zu vage (wie Omas: "Nimm eine Handvoll Mehl, und gib ein paar Eier dazu"), und andere genauer. Sie waren alle sehr verschieden, daher entschied ich mich für eine schlichte Version, wie das Simit, das ich in Delmenhorst gegessen hatte.

Das Ergebnis war wirklich sehr gelungen - mein Mann und ich fanden die knusprige Sesamkruste toll!

Zutaten:
500 g Weizenmehl Typ 450
5 g Trockenhefe (oder 15 g Frischhefe mit entsprechender Vorbereitung)
165 g Wasser, lauwarm
125 g Jogurt, lauwarm
7 g Salz

1 Eiweiss, mit 1 EL Wasser gemischt, zum Bestreichen
Sesamsaat zum Bestreuen


Zubereitung:
VORTAG:
1. Jogurt mit Wasser verrühren und die Trockenhefe darin auflösen. Alle anderen Teigzutaten hinzufügen, und auf niedriger Stufe (oder mit Holzlöffel) vermischen, bis alles Mehl durchfeuchtet ist. Teig 5 Minuten ruhen lassen.

2. Auf mittlerer Stufe (oder mit der Hand) 2 Minuten kneten, dabei, falls nötig, etwas mehr Wasser oder Mehl hinzufügen. Teig soll geschmeidig und sehr haftend, fast klebrig sein. Weitere 4 Minuten lang kneten. Teig soll immer noch ziemlich haftend sein.

3. Teig auf eine leicht bemehlte Arbeitsfläche legen. Mit nassen oder eingeölten Händen sanft in ein ungefähres Viereck ziehen. Rück- und Vorderseite wie einen Geschäftsbrief übereinander falten, dann rechte und linke Seite ebenso dehnen und falten.

4. Teigpaket hochnehmen, Ränder nach unten zusammennehmen, dass sich ein Ball formt, und mit der Naht nach unten in eine eingefettete Schüssel legen. Zugedeckt 10 Minuten ruhen lassen.

5. Dieses Dehnen und Falten 3 x wiederholen, mit jeweils 10 Minuten Pause dazwischen. Nach dem letzten Falten Teig in einen eingefetteten Container legen, gut verschliessen und über Nacht in den Kühlschrank stellen.


BACKTAG:
6. Teig 2 Stunden vor Gebrauch zum Aufwärmen aus dem Kühlschrank nehmen.

7. In 8 gleichgrosse Stücke teilen. Zuerst Bälle formen, dann mit den Händen zu 30 cm langen Strängen ausrollen (wenn der Teig zu elastisch ist, jeweils 5 Minuten ruhen lassen). Stränge zu Ringen formen, dabei die Enden gut zusammenpressen. Auf ein mit Backpapier ausgelegtes Blech legen.

8. Ofen auf 225 C vorheizen (eine feuerfeste grosse Schale zum Dämpfen miterhitzen). Teigringe mit Eiweiss bestreichen und mit Sesam bestreuen. Mit Sprayöl einsprühen, mit Plastikfolie abdecken und ca. 1 Stunde lang gehen lassen, oder so lange, bis sie sich beinahe verdoppelt haben.

9. Simits in die Mitte des Ofens stellen, dabei 1 Tasse kochendes Wasser in die Dampfschale giessen. 7 Minuten lang backen, dann Blech um 180 Grad drehen, und die Dampfschale entfernen. Weitere 8 Minuten backen, bis die Brote goldbraun sind.

10. Auf einem Kuchengitter abkühlen lassen.


Wer das Brot etwas weicher mag, kann 2 EL Olivenöl und 1 TL Zucker in den Teig geben.

Adaptiert von Merosh's Simit-Rezept in www.kochbar.de

SIMIT - TURKISH SESAME BREAD



Ring shaped sesame simit is very common bread in Turkey, as well as in other Middle Eastern countries and the Balkans. It comes in larger and smaller sizes, and, also varies in crunchiness and chewiness, depending on the region. Some are softer, made with apple syrup and olive oil, and some are crisp and lean.

After having my first simit, I wanted, of course, to try my hand in it. I studied a lot of recipes - fortunately many Turkish women post in German cooking websites. Some of those descriptions were a bit too vague for a newbie (like Grandmother's: "Take a handful of flour, and then put some eggs in"). They also varied greatly.

In the end I decided on a lean, crisp version, like the wonderful simit I got as a gift from a Turkish baker, when I admired her beautiful display at a Turkish bakery in Delmenhorst, Germany.

I tweaked the recipe a bit, working the dough with stretch and fold, plus a slow cold fermentation overnight, and the result was really nice - my husband and I loved the sesame crunch!

Braided, twisted or straight - Simits are good!

SIMIT - TURKISH SESAME BREAD (adapted from Merosh/kochbar.de)

500 g Italian 00 flour (or unbleached pastry flour)
4 g instant yeast
190 g water, lukewarm
125 g yogurt, lukewarm
7 g salt
19 g olive oil (optional -  I used it)

Topping:
1 egg white, mixed with 1 tbsp. water, for brushing
sesame seeds, for sprinkling


DAY 1:
Mix together yogurt and water, and stir in instant yeast, until dissolved. Add all other dough ingredients, and mix at low speed (or with wooden spoon) until all flour is hydrated. Let dough rest for 5 minutes.

Knead at medium-low speed (or with hands) for 2 more minutes, adjusting with a little more water or flour, if needed. Dough should be supple and very tacky, bordering on sticky. Resume kneading for another 4 minutes. Dough should still be tacky.

Transfer to an oiled work surface. With oiled hands, gently extend into a rough square. Stretch and fold back and front side like a business envelope, then, also left and right side.

Pick up dough package, tuck sides under to form a ball, and place, seam-side down, into an oiled bowl. Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.

Repeat these stretches and folds 3 more times, at 10 minute intervals. After last fold, place dough into oiled container with lid, and refrigerate overnight.


DAY 2:
Remove dough from refrigerator 2 hours before using.

First shape dough pieces into rolls, then roll into strands

Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. First shape into rolls, then, with your hands, roll into 12-14"/30-35 cm strands (if dough resists, let relax for 5 minutes, before continuing).

Shape strands into rings, twisting them if you like, pressing ends together to seal. (Or, alternatively, braid two longer strands, and then shape into a ring.) Place on parchment lined baking sheet.

Place simits on parchment lined baking sheet

Preheat oven to 437ºF/225º C, including steam pan.

Brush dough rings with egg white, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Spray with oil spray, cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for ca. 1 hour, or until they have grown to almost double in size.

Bake simits for 7 minutes, steaming with 1 cup boiling water. Rotate baking sheet 180 degrees, remove steam pan, and continue baking for another 8 minutes, or until breads are golden brown.

Let breads cool on wire rack.

It is necessary to use a low protein flour, like the German type 450 or Italian 00. American unbleached pastry flour would be a good substitute - all-purpose flour has too much gluten. 

Beautiful, appetizing display at a Turkish bakery in Delmenhorst/Germany


Post updated: 8/16/14

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Turkish Delight - Türkischer Honig



When I visited my cousin Uta
in Delmenhorst/Germany, we went into a Turkish bakery with the most beautiful display I've ever seen. Everything was made on the premises, you could see the oven and the work bench, and a wonderful buttery aroma filled the air.
To make a choice of the enticing selection of baked goodies was really hard, we decided on some Börek with cheese and spinach filling, and, also, picked some sweet pastry for dessert.
I asked the owner to allow me to take some pictures, because everything looked so nice. She was very pleased. I also wanted to buy a Simit, I had heard about this Turkish sesame bread, but never had one. She very graciously gave me one for free, having me choose between a lean version (hanging on a rack from the wall), or a sweeter kind of Simit (in the display left). I expressed my gratitude and took the lean one.
We enjoyed our Turkish lunch on the porch, watching "Egbert", the robotic lawn mower (a cousin of "Roomba", the vacuum cleaner robot) busily scuttling around, like a large, grass chewing beetle.
Everything tasted good, but the hit, even though I usually don't like it very sweet, was the pastry - death by Baklava!

Als ich meine Kusine Uta in Delmenhorst besuchte, gingen wir in eine türkische Bäckerei mit der schönsten Auslage, die ich je gesehen hatte. Alles wurde vor Ort hergestellt, man konnte den Backofen und die Arbeitsbank sehen, und es roch appetitanregend nach Butter.
Es war wirklich schwer, sich angesichts dieser verführerischen Auswahl von Backwaren zu entscheiden, wir wählten Börek mit Käse- und Spinatfüllung, und nahmen als Dessert auch etwas von dem süssen Gebäck mit.
Ich fragte die Besitzerin, ob ich ein paar Fotos machen könnte, denn alles sähe so hübsch aus. Sie war sehr erfreut. Ich wollte auch ein Simit kaufen, ich hatte von diesem türkischen Sesambrot gehört, aber noch nie eins gegessen. Sie gab mir freundlicherweise eins als Geschenk, und ich konnte zwischen einer einfacheren Version (die an der Wand aufgehängt waren) und einer süssen Simit-Variante (in der Auslage links) wählen. Ich bedankte mich und nahm das einfachere Brot.
Wir genossen unser türkisches Mittagessen auf der Terrasse, und sahen dabei "Egbert", dem Rasenmäher-Roboter zu (einem Cousin von "Roomba", dem Staubsaugroboter), wie er emsig wie ein grosser, grasfressender Käfer umherfuhr.
Alles schmeckte gut, aber, obwohl ich normalerweise sehr Süsses nicht mag, war das süsse Gebäck der Hit: Tod durch Baklava!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

ÖSTERREICHISCHE KASTANIENTORTE - AUSTRIAN CHESTNUT TORTE



DOUGH
4 eggs, separated
100 g butter, softened
100 g confectioners' sugar, sifted
100 g chestnut puree (I used canned chestnut puree)
90 g pastry flour or cake flour (unbleached)
30 g chestnut flour
40 cake crumbs (I use ground ladyfingers)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
lemon zest, grated (1/2 lemon)
100 g apricot jam, warm (strained, if chunky)

FILLING
500 ml whipping cream
80 g confectioners' sugar, sifted
100 g chestnut puree
6 gelatin leaves, white, or 1 1/2 envelope powdered gelatin (1 1/2 tbsp.)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
40 ml rum, heated

DECORATION
More whipped cream, if needed, for rosettes
almonds, unbleached, ground (ca. 1/4 cup)
almonds, unbleached, whole

DOUGH (can be made a day ahead):
1. Preheat oven to 355 F/180 C. Mist 3 round cake pans with oil spray, then line bottoms with parchment paper. Grease parchment lined bottoms. (Or use springform pan and cut into layers).
2. Cream together butter and 1/2 of confectioners' sugar (50 g) until fluffy, add chestnut puree and beat until fluffy. Add egg yolks one by one, beating well after each addition.
3. Whisk egg whites and other 1/2 of sugar until stiff. Gently fold egg whites into butter mixture. In a second bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cake crumbs and lemon zest. Fold flour mixture gently into dough.
4. Distribute dough evenly over cake pans (or springform pan), and smooth surface with spatula. Bake for about 10 - 15 minutes (or 40 minutes for large cake). Let cool completely in pans.

FILLING:
5. Remove cake bottoms from pans (or cut large cake into 3 layers). Brush with warm apricot jam. Whisk together chestnut puree with some whipping cream so that it is creamy (and not stiff). Whisk whipping cream with confectioners' sugar and vanilla until stiff.
6. Soak gelatin leaves in cold water (or use powder following instructions on envelope). Heat rum in small bowl, then dissolve gelatin in the hot rum. Slowly add chestnut cream to gelatin mixture (to prevent lumps), then fold mixture into whipped cream.

ASSEMBLY:
7. Spread 2/3 of filling over lower 2 cake bottoms, place all three on top each other. Spread top and sides of torte with cream. Place leftover filling in pastry bag (or, if it's not enough, use whipped cream) and decorate top with rosettes.
8. Sprinkle torte with ground almonds (except for rosettes) and decorate with whole almonds. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Recipe adapted from "Das grosse österreichische Tortenbuch".

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

The Great Chestnut Hunt - Die grosse Kastanienjagd


When I was a child, one of our favorite September pastimes was the Great Chestnut Hunt. We found the glossy smoothness of freshly fallen chestnuts incredibly alluring, and turned into avid hunters and gatherers.
Not satisfied with the chestnuts on the ground, we also through sticks into the trees to make more of the prickly green balls fall down, spilling their shiny contents when they cracked open.
What did we do with our wonderful bounty, after all? That was a bit of a problem. For the glossy skins of the chestnuts turned dull after a day, and, also, they didn't feel so pleasant to the touch anymore. So some went to the local forester to feed hungry deer in winter (until he complained his storage was overflowing), some turned into funny little creatures, with acorn heads and pipe cleaner limbs.
But most of them probably ended up in the compost, or in the garbage, when mothers decided their value in keeping children busy (and out of trouble) was gone.
Sadly American chestnuts were almost wiped out by a disease, though scientists are working on bringing them back. Luckily Europe's chestnuts were spared; and when we last visited Hamburg, walking through tree lined Parkallee, we heard disturbingly loud noises, like fire crackers. It was September, chestnut time, and a full load of ripe chestnuts pelted parked cars like hundred little bomblets.
These chestnuts were, of course, not the edible kind - those grow in milder regions. Let's celebrate chestnuts and the glorious end of summer with delicious (boozy) CHESTNUT TORTE! (Recipe follows).

Während meiner Kindheit war eins unserer bevorzugten Freizeitvergnügen die Grosse Kastanienjagd im September. Wir fanden die glänzende Glätte frisch gefallener Kastanien unglaublich verlockend, und verwandelten uns in begeisterte Jäger und Sammler.
Nicht zufrieden mit den Kastanien am Boden, warfen wir auch noch Stöcke in die Bäume, damit noch mehr der stachligen grünen Bälle herunterfielen und ihren glänzenden Inhalt verstreuten, wenn sie aufplatzten.
Und was machten wir nachher mit unserer wundervollen Beute? Das war ein bisschen problematisch. Denn die glänzende Schale der Kastanien wurde nach einem Tag stumpf, und sie fühlten sich auch nicht mehr so angenehm an. Daher gelangte ein Teil zum örtlichen Förster, als Winterfutter für Rehe (bis er sich beschwerte, dass sein Vorratskeller überfloss), ein Teil wurde zu ulkigen kleinen Geschöpfen, mit Eichelköpfen und Pfeifenreiniger-Gliedern.
Aber die meisten endeten vermutlich auf dem Kompost oder in der Mülltonne, wenn die Mütter entschieden, dass sie ihren Wert als Kinderbeschäftigung (und -ruhigstellung) überlebt hatten.
Leider wurden amerikanische Kastanien von einer Krankheit beinahe völlig vernichtet, Wissenschaftler arbeiten allerdings daran, sie wieder zurückzubringen. Zum Glück wurden Europas Kastanien verschont; und als wir letztens Hamburg besuchten, und die baumbestandene Parkallee hinuntergingen, hörten wir verstörend lauten Lärm, wie von Silvesterknallern. Es war September, Kastanienzeit, und eine volle Ladung reifer Kastanien hagelte auf die parkenden Autos, wie Hunderte kleiner Bömbchen.
Diese Kastanien waren natürlich nicht die essbare Sorte - die wachsen in milderen Regionen. Zur Feier der Kastanien und des glorreichen Endes des Sommers gibt's eine leckere (alkoholische) KASTANIENTORTE! (Rezept folgt)

Friday, July 1, 2011

A HINT OF PROVENCE - LAVENDER BREAD


Hier geht's zur deutschen Version dieses Posts





















In front of the store where I sell my breads I saw a bed of lavender in full bloom. The smell was wonderful, recalling memories of glorious summer holidays as a student in the Aix-en-Provence.

It also reminded me of a bread recipe with lavender that I always wanted to try.

Lavender in full bloom - a feast for nose and eyes

The lavender buds in my garden have not opened, yet, but I have some dried lavender flowers, and the assurance of reliable sources in the internet that fresh and dried lavender had the same strong aroma, and were therefore interchangeable.

At the first bite the breads' seasoning appears a bit unfamiliar, but then the taste buds open up, and welcome the subtle lavender flavor - a hint of Provence.

Especially good with butter and honey

LAVENDER BREAD          (adapted from Richard Ploner's "Brot aus Südtirol")
(6 mini breads or 8-12 rolls)

STARTER
22 g whole wheat mother starter (or white starter)
63 g all-purpose flour
45 g water

DOUGH
3 g instant yeast
270 g water, lukewarm
all starter (130 g)
400 g all-purpose flour
100 g bread flour
20 g sugar
12 g salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 tsp. dried lavender flowers, or fresh lavender flowers (from 6 stems)

DAY 1
In the morning, mix starter. Cover, and let sit at room temperature.

In the evening, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add to all other dough ingredients. Mix at low speed (or by hand) for 1 - 2 minutes, until all flour is hydrated. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Knead at medium-low speed for 2 minutes, adjusting with more water as needed (dough should still be sticky). Continue kneading for 4 more minutes, the last 20 seconds at medium speed (dough should still be somewhat sticky).

Transfer dough to lightly floured counter, and (with wet hands) stretch it gently into a rough square, and fold it like a business envelope. Turn it 90 degrees, and, from the small sides, fold it again in thirds.

Gather dough package into a ball, tucking edges under, and place in lightly oiled bowl (seam side down). Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. Repeat Stretch & Fold 3 more times, at 10 minute intervals. After last S & F place dough in oiled container, mist with baking spray, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight.

DAY 2:
Remove dough from refrigerator at least 2 hours before using. Its volume should triple.

Preheat oven to 425ºF/220ºC, including steam pan.

Divide dough into 6 (mini breads) or 8-12 (rolls) equal pieces. Shape pieces first into rounds, then roll them  into strands. Cover, and let rise at room temperature for about 45 minutes, or until an indentation, made with your finger, remains visible. Slash lengthwise.

Bake breads at 425 F/220ºC for 12 minutes, remove steam pan, rotate loaves, and bake for another 13 minutes, or until rich golden brown (internal temperature at least 200 F/95 C)

Let breads cool on wire rack.

Karin and friends taking French language classes in Aix-en-Povence (1970)

Saturday, June 18, 2011

WELTBESTE POPOVERS - UND SO EINFACH!




Die Popovers sind inzwischen aktualisiert und umgezogen - auf mein deutsches Blog Brot & Meer:

RICHTIG AUFGEPUFFT - AMERIKANISCHE POPOVERS

WORLD'S BEST POPOVERS - AND SO EASY!


Hier geht's zur deutschen Version dieses Posts


















Let's call Yorkshire pudding
A fortunate blunder:
It's a sort of popover
That turned and popped under.


Ogden Nash twisted the facts a little bit - though American popovers are relatives of of the English Yorkshire pudding, they are, off course, the offspring, not the origin. Not only that, over time they turned from a savory side dish for lamb into a dessert.

I've tried several popover recipes, they were quite good, but I was never able to make popovers that really "popped over". Compared with the famous popovers at Jordan Pond Restaurant on Mount Desert Island (which, by the way, get a little smaller every year), mine never rose much over the rim of the pan - even the ones I baked from Jordan Pond's own recipe.

Fortunately there are the good people from "Cook's Illustrated", working tirelessly in America's Test Kitchen, trying to come up with THE best version for every imaginable recipe. I gave their popover recipe a shot - and they POPPED! And not only that, the recipe is really one for dummies, you practically can't screw up.

Tea and Popovers at Jordan Pond

WORLD'S BEST POPOVERS (6) (adapted from Cook's Illustrated)

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 cup/140 g all-purpose flour (or exchange 14 g/5 tsp with whole grain flour, see note below)
1 tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vegetable oil

In a blender, mix eggs and milk until smooth. Add flour, butter, and salt, and continue to blend on high speed until batter is bubbly and smooth, about 1 minute. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Measure 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil into each cup of popover pan. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place pan in oven, and preheat oven to 450ºF.

After batter has rested, stir it and pour into measuring cup with spout. Working quickly, remove pan from oven and divide batter evenly among cups. Bake for 20 minutes without opening oven door.

Lower heat to 350 F and bake until golden brown all over, 15 - 18 minutes more. Gently flip popovers out unto rack and let cool slightly before serving (2 minutes).

Serve with butter and strawberry jam (or other jam).

You can exchange 10% of the white flour (14 g/5 tsp) with whole grain (I like Einkorn) without having to add more liquid or compromising their popping.

Popovers can be prepared in a 12-cup muffin pan (fill only the 10 outer cups), but they will not rise quite as high as in the special popover pan.

Popover batter can be made 1 day ahead and stored in refrigerator, wrapped tightly. Let come to room temperature and stir thoroughly before using.

Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park

Thursday, June 16, 2011

"Hazel" and "Little Nut" Are Growing - "Hasel" und "Nüsschen" wachsen

Hazel
Little Nut
In 2008 I stuck some fresh hazelnuts in the ground at different places in our yard. I also gave some to our friend Tamara for her gorgeous garden. In spring 2009 I checked for weeks the planting sites, but nothing showed, only some more weeds.

I don't bother too much about those, and when my husband complains about our untidy lawn, I say: "Green is green!" This motto was already an annoyance to my neighbors when I was living in Germany. My eco-friendly garden was a fertile breeding ground for dandelion and burning nettle seeds, and other horticultural threats that law abiding, Round-Up toting garden owners abhor.

Last year I looked at some puny rhubarbs planted many years ago along the fence before cedars and maples blocked the sun. I noticed a seedling with round, serrated leaves that seemed familiar. After almost two years a hazelnut had sprouted! Though I scanned every centimeter of our yard for more, it was the only one. But Tamara gave me another nut-ling, she got several of them.

My two little hazelnuts cheerfully grew more leaves, while I watched them like a hawk, knowing my Richard's merciless efficiency with the lawnmower. They survived last winter, buried by tons of snow, and outgrew their yogurt container collars (protection from certain people to who believe that nature should be "beaten into submission").

With some luck, and if some people - I name no names - keep their greedy weed whackers off them, "Hazel" and "Little Nut" will grow into nice, big bushes, providing us with an abundance of delicious nuts. Unless our fat squirrels eat them first!

2008 steckte ich ein paar frische Haselnüsse an verschiedenen Stellen entlang unseres Grundstücks in die Erde. Ich gab auch einige unserer Freundin Tamara für ihren wunderbaren Garten. Im Frühjahr 2009 sah ich wochenlang nach den Pflanzstellen, aber nichts liess sich blicken, ausser ein paar mehr Unkräutern.

Die kümmern mich nicht allzu sehr, und wenn mein Mann sich über unseren unordentlichen Rasen beschwert, sage ich: "Grün ist grün!" Dieses Motto war bereits ein Ärgernis für meine Nachbarn, als ich noch in Deutschland wohnte. Mein öko-freundlicher Garten war eine fruchtbare Brutstätte für Löwenzahn- und Brennesselsamen, sowie andere hortikulturelle Bedrohungen, die gesetzestreue, Unkrautvernichtungsmittel-schwingende Gartenbesitzer schrecken.
Letztes Jahr schaute ich nach ein paar mickrigen Rhabarbern, die vor vielen Jahren entlang dem Zaun gepflanzt worden waren - bevor Zedern und Ahörner das Sonnenlicht blockierten. Ich bemerkte einen Sprössling mit runden, gezähnten Blättern, die mir bekannt vorkamen. Nach beinahe zwei Jahren war eine Haselnuss gekeimt! Obwohl ich jeden Zentimeter des Grundstücks nach weiteren absuchte, blieb sie die Einzige. Aber Tamara gab mir einen zweiten Nuss-Sprössling, bei ihr waren mehrere gekommen.

Meine kleinen Haselnüsse liessen fröhlich weitere Blätter spriessen, während ich sie wie ein Habicht überwachte, in Gedanken an Richards erbarmungslose Gründlichkeit mit dem Rasenmäher. Begraben unter tonnenweisem Schnee überlebten sie den letzten Winter und wuchsen aus ihren Joghurtbecher-Kragen heraus (Schutz vor gewissen Leuten, die glauben, Natur solle "gewaltsam unterworfen" werden).
Mit ein bisschen Glück, und wenn einige Leute - ich will keine Namen nennen - ihre gierigen Rasentrimmer von ihnen lassen, werden "Hasel" und "Nüsschen" zu hübschen, grossen Büschen wachsen und uns mit massenhaft leckeren Nüssen versorgen. Wenn unsere dicken Eichhörnchen sie nicht vorher fressen!

Thursday, May 12, 2011

KORNTALER


STARTER
10 g rye starter, 100% hydration
60 g water
100 g bread flour

SOAKER
115 g whole rye flour (or medium rye)
120 g whole wheat flour
30 g flaxseeds
30 g millet
4 g salt
210 g water

FINAL DOUGH
all soaker and starter
105 g bread flour
6 g salt
60 g dried soybeans
40 g water, or more as needed


DAY 1

Mix together all ingredients for starter. Cover, and let sit at room temperature for 14-18 hrs.

MIx together all ingredients for soaker. Cover and let sit at room temperature.


DAY 2

Pour boiling water over soybeans and let soak for 15 min. Drain, let cool, and chop coarsely. Dry and slightly toast them at 170 C/325 F for ca. 20 min. Let cool.

Combine all dough ingredients, mix on low speed for 1 - 2 min., then 4 min. on medium-low speed. Let rest for 5 min., then continue kneading for another 1 min.

Ferment sough for 3-4 hrs, or until it has grown 1 1/2 times its original size.

Shape dough into boule, place into banneton, seamside down, and proof for ca. 2 hrs,. or until it has grown 1 1/2 times. (Preheat oven after 1 hr.)

Preheat oven to 250 C/500 F, including steam pan.

Bake bread at 240 C/475 F for 10 min., steaming with 1 cup of boiling water. Reduce heat to 220 C/425 F, and bake for another 10 min. Remove steam pan and rotate loaf 180 degrees. Continue baking for ca 20 minutes more (internal temperature at least 93 C/200 F). Bread should sound hollow when thumped on bottom.

Let cool on wire rack.

The recipe was adapted from Nils Schöner: "Brot - Bread Notes From A Floury German Kitchen".

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

E-Cookbooks Really Suck, But Some Are Worth It - E-Kochbücher sind bescheuert, aber einige sind ihr Geld wert


Much as I enjoy my Kindle for reading novels - e-cookbooks really suck!

My favorite baking books are full of scribbled exclamations, observations and suggestions. But try to enter notes in an e-book - and then IDENTIFY them again in their separate storage space on the e-reader - nothing is more cumbersome and annoying.

Therefore my only e-cookbook is Nils Schöner’s: “Brot - Bread Notes From a Floury German Kitchen” (written in English). First I got the free online version, but after I realized how much experience and work went into this compilation of recipes, I decided to give Schöner his due, and pay for the Kindle edition - a print version doesn’t exist.

Working with e-recipes is easy as long as you follow the recipe to the t, but if you want to change something, you have to write your notes on a piece of paper, and copy the recipe plus alterations and comments in your recipe program (or write them in a notebook) for later use.

Schöner didn’t make the task of navigating his book any easier by forgetting to add a table of contents to his book - but you can find it at Amazon with the book listing, and print it out.

His recipes are not “Bread Baking for Dummies”, either, and the procedure is often not described in great detail. So I adapted his recipes to my preferred method, introducing a soaker and overnight fermentation. I also found that baking it with slightly different temperatures resulted in a better crust.

In spite of all these obstacles - the “Floury Kitchen” puts out so many interesting recipes, that it’s really worth the little extra effort.

So gern ich auch Romane auf meinem Kindle lese - E-Kochbücher sind wirklich saudumm!

Meine Lieblingsbackbücher sind vollgekritzelt mit Bewertungen, Beobachtungen und Tipps. Aber versuch mal, Anmerkungen in ein E-Buch zu schreiben - und sie anschliessend in ihrem separaten Speicherplatz auf dem E-Reader wiederzufinden - nichts ist mühseliger und nerviger!

Daher ist mein einziges E-Kochbuch Nils Schöners: "Brot - Bread Notes From a Floury Kitchen" (in Englisch geschrieben). Zuerst hatte ich nur die kostenlose Download-Version, aber als mir klar wurde, wieviel an Erfahrung und Arbeit in dieser Rezeptsammlung steckte, beschloss ich Schöner das Seine zu geben, und für die Kindleausgabe zu bezahlen - eine Printversion existiert nämlich nicht.

Mit E-Rezepten zu arbeiten ist so lange einfach, wie man ihnen buchstabengetreu folgt. Wenn man aber etwas ändern will, muss man seine Notizen auf ein Blatt Papier schreiben und für späteren Gebrauch das Rezept samt Änderungen und Kommentaren in sein Rezeptprogramm kopieren (oder in einem Notizbuch festhalten).

Schöner macht einem das Navigieren seines Buchs durch Vergessen eines Inhaltsverzeichnisses auch nicht gerade einfacher - aber man kann es bei Amazon bei seinem Bucheintrag finden und ausdrucken.

Seine Rezepte sind überdies auch nicht "Brotbacken für Anfänger", und die Vorgehensweise ist oft nicht im Detail beschrieben. Daher habe ich seine Rezepte meiner Lieblingstechnik angepasst, mit Einführung eines Quellstücks und Übernachtung im Kühlschrank. Ich fand ausserdem, dass leicht veränderte Backtemperaturen eine bessere Kruste ergaben.

Trotz all dieser Hindernisse - die "Mehlige Küche" enthält so viele interessante Rezepte, dass sie die kleine Extramühe wert ist.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Flying Crumbs and Shower of Flour


With St. Patrick's Day approaching I was asked whether I could bake some Irish Soda Breads for A & B Naturals, the store that sells my breads. Never having successfully baked one before - my first trial at King Arthur's "Whole Grain Soda Bread" ending in a brittle brick - I said, of course: "YES!"
"Yes" usually means that I know where to find a recipe, and, indeed, I remembered having seen one in "Cook's Illustrated". I studied the write-up for Irish Soda Bread to find out what had gone wrong with my prior misbegotten trial.
Mixing Irish Soda Bread has nothing in common with making regular breads. Apart from the right kind of flour - Irish white flour is quite low in protein, it has less gluten than American all-purpose flour - it doesn't require yeast but is leavened with baking soda.
Clueless about the true nature of this Irish tradition, I had given my King Arthur bread the usual treatment, kneading the heck out of it, adding more and more flour because it seemed too wet, and then cursing helplessly because, in spite of all my efforts, it strongly resisted being folded and shaped. What finally came out of the oven was a grainy, unappetizing brick that would have surely gone to the dogs if Buffy had already been with us.
Fortunately America's Test Kitchen never fails to take the scary out of cooking. Reading their introduction I understood that, with my uncouth handling, I had debilitated my hapless first trial bread. To achieve Soda Bread perfection the dough had to be mixed like muffin batter, barely allowing the ingredients to come together, before turning it out onto the counter and gently patting it into a round.
Enthusiastically I started preparing my first Classic Soda Bread, following the instruction. Everything went well until I emptied the bowl over the counter. The dough fell apart in larger and smaller lumps, and, also, shed quite a bit of loose flour. When I gingerly started turning it over, trying to capture the loose flour, a band of unruly crumbs broke free, rolling all over the counter.
When I finally managed coaxing all loose flour to stick, and herding back the crumbs that had gone AWOL, the sweat I broke was not only due to the oven heat.
While my bread was baking I looked through all those other Irish Soda Bread recipes I had gathered, and, also, consulted with Youtube. Did anybody know a way to make this procedure less of a crumbly challenge, more streamlined? For baking several loaves at one time? Even using a mixer?
What I read and saw was all hands-on only, even Jeffrey Hamelman, one of the bread baking VIPs, described his experiences in Dublin as being "literally up to the elbows " in dough. The idea of handling a large batch of soda dough more likely to resist centripetal forces than submitting to them seemed rather daunting. Moreover, handling it with the gentlest touch!
My Irish Soda Bread turned out very nice, it was well worth the effort. And finally, I found at least a way to make it a little easier to bring the dough together without overworking it.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

BUCKWHEAT RYE BREAD



SOAKER
100 g whole rye flour
100 g whole buckwheat flour
100 g white buckwheat flour (or all whole or white buckwheat flour)
4 g salt
225 g water

FINAL DOUGH
175 g water (lukewarm)
6 g instant yeast
all soaker
295 g bread flour
4 g salt
16 g honey
1 tsp. coriander, ground
½ tsp. anise seeds, ground


DAY 1

In the morning, stir together soaker ingredients, until well hydrated. Cover, and let sit at room temperature.

In the evening, stir together water and instant yeast. Add to other ingredient for final dough, and mix (with paddle attachment) on lowest speed for 1 minute (or by hand). Let dough sit for 5 minutes.

With dough hook (or by hand), knead on medium-low speed, for 2 min. Dough should be very supple and sticky. Continue to mix for 4 min. more. Dough will still be sticky.

Transfer dough to floured work surface, and, with wet or oiled hands, stretch and fold dough (pull one side up and fold it over itself, repeat this maneuver with other three sides). Let rest for 10 min, and repeat stretches and folds 3 more times (total time 40 minutes). Gather dough into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl (seam side down), cover and refrigerate overnight.


DAY 2

Remove dough from refrigerator 2 hrs. before using.

Preheat oven to 475 F/250 C, including steam pan. Divide dough in 2 equal pieces. Shape 2 boules, and proof in bannetons (seam side up) or on parchment lined baking sheet (seam side down), for ca. 45 - 60 minutes, or until grown to 1 1/2 times their original size.

Score breads crosswise. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 F/200 C, rotate 180 degrees, and continue baking for another 15 minutes (internal temperature at least 200 F/93 C, and bread should sound hollow when thumped on bottom).

Let breads cool on wire rack.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Acadia meets Germany - Acadia trifft Deutschland



Buckwheat is high in minerals like iron and potassium, a good source of protein, and, not only that, it has more Vitamin B than wheat! I ate buckwheat "porridge" for breakfast every day while I was pregnant with Per - at that time nothing could be healthy enough for the benefit of my first child.

It took a while to get used to its strong and distinctive taste (and I softened it with generous amounts of cream and honey). But I thought that in a bread, buckwheat might add a very interesting flavor, so I looked for a recipe. I found one in my old German baking book, and played for quite a while around with it.

I tried it several times, in different ways, but the result was never really satisfying. Something was missing, the taste was okay, but not that great, so I put it away, to work on it another time, perhaps.

But buckwheat grows right here in Maine, and when, for the first time, I tasted Ployes (French Acadian buckwheat pancakes) I remembered my quest for a good buckwheat bread.

And this time, using a different technique, some spices and a little bit of honey, my buckwheat bread turned out as tasty as I had hoped. It can be done with white buckwheat flour, whole buckwheat, or a combination, depending on your preference for a milder or more assertive taste.

Buchweizen hat einen hohen Gehalt
an Mineralstoffen wie Eisen und Kalium, ist eine gute Eiweissquelle, und nicht nur das, es enthält auch mehr Vitamin B als Weizen! Als ich mit Per schwanger war, ass ich jeden Tag Buchweizenbrei zum Frühstück - damals war mir nichts gesund genug für das Wohlergehen meines ersten Kindes.

Es brauchte eine Weile, bis ich mich an den kräftigen, etwas strengen Geschmack gewöhnt hatte (und ich milderte ihn mit grosszügigen Dosen Sahne und Honig ab). Aber ich dachte, dass Buchweizen Brot einen sehr interessanten Geschmack geben könnte, daher suchte ich nach einem Rezept. Ich fand eins in meinem alten deutschen Backbuch, und habe eine ganze Zeit lang damit herumgespielt.

Ich probierte es mehrere Male, auf verschiedene Weise, aber das Ergebnis war nie so richtig zufriedenstellend. Irgendetwas fehlte, der Geschmack war zwar okay, aber so toll nun wieder auch nicht, daher legte ich es beiseite, um es mir eventuell später wieder vorzunehmen.

Aber Buchweizen wächst gerade hier in Maine, und als ich zum ersten Mal Ployes (French-Acadian Buchweizenpfannkuchen) auf dem American Folk Festival in Bangor probierte, erinnerte ich mich wieder an meine Suche nach einem guten Buchweizenbrot.

Und diesmal, mit einer anderen Technik, einigen Gewürzen und ein bisschen Honig, wurde mein Buchweizenbrot so lecker, wie ich mir es vorgestellt hatte. Es lässt sich mit hellem Buchweizenmehl, dunklem Vollkorn-Buchweizenmehl, oder einer Kombination herstellen, je nach Vorliebe für einen milderen oder stärkeren Geschmack.

Monday, February 21, 2011

RED WINE CAKE


CAKE
50 g cranberries, dried, or golden raisins
1 tbsp. rum
250 g butter (unsalted), at room temperature
175 g sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon, ground
1 pinch salt
4 eggs
120 g all-purpose flour
50 g whole wheat pastry flour (or also all-purpose flour)
80 g hazelnuts
1 tbsp. cocoa
16 g baking powder
150 - 175 ml red wine, dry and fruity
50 g semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

GLAZE (optional)
125 g caster sugar
2 - 3 tbsp. red wine

CAKE:
Soak cranberries or raisins in rum.

Preheat oven to 175 C/350 F. Adjust rack to second lowest tier. Grease and flour Bundt cake or Gugelhupf form (1 3/4 l/60 fl. oz).

In food processor, grind hazelnuts together with 50 g of the flour (there may be some bigger pieces left). Sift together rest of flour, cocoa and baking powder in small bowl. Add ground nuts and stir to combine.

With hand held or stand mixer, whisk butter, sugar, cinnamon and salt, until very fluffy, at least 6 minutes. Add vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, until mixture is very smooth and creamy.

Stir in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with red wine, until combined. Fold in chocolate and soaked cranberries (or raisins).

Fill dough into cake form, smoothing top with rubber spatula. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, until needle comes out clean.

Let cake cool in cake pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack. Let cool completely.

ICING: Mix powdered sugar and red wine, until smooth. Pour over top of cake in irregular pattern. (The pink icing looks pretty, but I like it less sweet, therefore I omitted it in my cake.)

I adapted the recipe for "Rotweinkuchen" from "Für jeden Tag" magazine.

A Feline Foundling and Steeped in Red


Two years ago we found a little stranger on our doorstep, attracted by the tantalizing smell of barbecued chicken, and my (universally understood) call to the food bowl: "Miez, Miez, Miez (= kitty, kitty, kitty)!" The little Maine Coon was skin and bones under her pretty fur, and ate ravenously what we gave her. She must have been lost for quite a while.

A call to the animal hospital led to a tearful reunion of kitty and her owners. They told us she had vanished three months ago, and they had given up all hope of seeing her again. A token of their gratitude were two large bottles of wine, one white, one red.

Since I am the only occasional imbiber in this household - Richard getting headaches from alcohol - I had to figure out what to do with the 2-liter bottles of vin ordinaire. Once open, the contents had to be consumed - or else turn to vinegar.

The white finally ended in the glasses of the non-discriminating younger members of my family. The red started collecting dust in the basement. Finally I found a recipe for "Beef Goulash in Barolo", a clipping from a German foodie magazine. Being pretty sure that any other dry red would do as well, half of the bottle found its way into this delicious, spicy stew.

But what about the other half? Not another stew, not noble enough for Coq au Vin, so it had to be pastry. Red Velvet Cake was an obvious choice, but too much fuss, I wanted something simpler. And I found it, rich and spicy enough to mellow the dryness of the wine, moist and scrumptious: Red Wine Cake.